Dolma is a very typical and important dish in Turkish cuisine, basically it is a vine leaf rolled up and filled with a mixture, although there are other different types that substitute the vine leaves with tomatoes, onions, aubergines, or courgettes.
The word “dolma” comes from “doldurmak”, which in Turkish means “stuffing”; the usual filling is rice with onions and spices, but meat is also often used. Its origins go back to the time when the ancient Turks lived in the steppes of Central Asia: at that time they began to practice sedentary agriculture, and to preserve the vegetables left over from the summer, they dried them and in winter they cooked them by boiling and stuffing them.
This technique is still practised today in Turkey, where – as with the famous kebap– there are hundreds of different varieties of dolma, depending on the region and the produce available in each area. If rice is used for the filling, the dolma is usually eaten cold; if meat is used, it is usually eaten hot.
We will now explain one of the ways of preparing dolma.
Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice (Ingredients for 5 persons)
- 8 green peppers (Italian peppers)
- 8 tomatoes
- 1 glass of rice
- 2 finely chopped onions
- Half a glass of chopped parsley
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts
- 4 tablespoons dried currants
- The insides of 8 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- Half a glass of olive oil
- Half a glass of hot water
- Salt
Preparation
Wash the peppers and tomatoes, and cut off the upper part (where it joins the stem), leaving it aside. Empty them, and leave the inside of the tomatoes also reserved to prepare the stuffing later.
Leave the rice to soak for half an hour in warm salted water, and then wash and drain it. Heat a pan and add the olive oil and pine nuts, fry them for a minute until lightly browned, then add the chopped onion and salt, and fry for five minutes.
Then add the rice and stir well for ten minutes to prevent it from sticking. Take the stuffing from the tomatoes, chop it and add it to the rice, mixing everything well.
Finally, add all the spices, parsley, sugar, salt, lemon juice and half a glass of hot water, stir and leave on a low heat until the water has evaporated completely. When there is no water left, turn off the heat and leave the rice to cool. Remember, however, that the rice is not yet ready at this stage.
When the mixture has cooled, fill the peppers and tomatoes with it and place them on a baking tray, closing them with the lids we cut off earlier and pouring a little olive oil over them.
Put them in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 or 30 minutes until they are lightly browned. Finally, wait about 15 minutes for them to cool, and they are ready to serve. You can add a few drops of lemon juice on top, and serve with yoghurt sauce.
Afiyet olsun! (Enjoy!)
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Funda is a master of Turkish cuisine. Her cooking skills have led her to participate in all kinds of contests and competitions, and she has won numerous awards for her recipes. If you try one of her dishes… Say goodbye to your diet!
